Naples

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(Redirected from Napoli)

Alternate uses: See Naples (disambiguation)

 frazioni          =|
 telephone         = 081|
 postalcode        = 80100|
 gentilic          =Napoletani|
 saint             = Saint Januarius|
 day               = September 19|
 mayor             = Rosa Russo Jervolino|
 website           = www.comune.napoli.it  |

}}Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Nàpule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning "New City"; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. The city has a population of about 1 million, and together with its suburbs, the urban area has 4.4 million inhabitants (Neapolitans, napulitane in Neapolitan, napoletani or poetically partenopei in Italian). It is located just halfway between the Vesuvius volcano and a separate volcanic area, the Campi Flegrei, all part of the Campanian volcanic arc.

It is rich in historical, artistic and cultural traditions and gastronomy. Neapolitan ('o napulitano) is the colourful, rich Romance language that became a trademark of southern Italy ever since the reign of the Kingdom of Naples and the Two Sicilies.

The metropolitan area of Naples is second in Italy by population, with over 4,400,000 inhabitants.

The city is served by Naples International Airport.

1 History
2 Food and drink
3 Tourist attractions
4 Famous Neapolitans
5 Community Boards of Naples
6 See also
7 External links

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History

Template:Main Naples was founded between the 7th and 6th centuries BC by the Greeks and was given the name Neapolis. During the period of Roman domination, the town preserved the Greek language and original habits. After the Roman period the city was dominated by many different groups of people (Byzantines, Longobards, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragoneses, Spanish, Bourbons and Frenchs). Nowadays one can see the traces of all those dominations in the monuments, in the culture and in the habits of the town. Naples was also the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and after the Congress of Vienna became the capital of the (newly named, but geographically unchanged) Kingdom of Naples. Thus, Naples was the only city (besides Jerusalem) taking the same name as the Kingdom of which it was the capital. After a long period of decline following the forging of the Italian State over 100 years ago, the city is making great strides in recovering its eminence as a center for culture.

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Food and drink

Naples is by tradition the home of pizza. It is the birthplace of the Pizza Margherita, which traditionally is made with mozzarella cheese, pomodoro (tomato) and basil - each representing the red, white, and green of the Italian flag. The pizza was named after it was served to Queen Margherita when she visited the city. La vera pizza ("true pizza") should be made in a wood-burning oven similar to a Tandoori oven, and there is a certification body that issues recognition to pizza places around the world that have been deemed to make true Neapolitan pizza.

Naples is also famous for its pasta dishes, where spaghetti is often served with sugo di pomodoro, a tomato sauce which gets its full flavour from sun-ripe Campanian San Marzano tomatoes. Another excellent Campanian dish found in Naples is melanzane alla parmigiana, which is fried slices of aubergine (eggplant) gratinéed with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. Often one can get another version of melanzane alla parmigiana with an addition of mozzarella cheese.

Naples offers several kinds of unique pastry, the most famous of which is perhaps the babà, followed by choux (Neapolitans write it as sciù) and the Pastiera, a cake prepared for Easter. The babà (also known as savarin) is a mushroom-shaped piece of leavend sweet paste, soaked with an orange flavoured mixture of ron|ruhm and water. Choux is a small "bubble" of leavened paste stuffed with light cream, usually coffee or chocolate flavored. The Pastiera is a cake with a complicated recipe, varying by the county in which it is prepared. The ingredients are typically annealed grain, eggs, and sometimes cream. It is always combined with boiled rice. Another typical Neapolitan pastry is the Sfogliatella (riccia or frolla).

Naples is also known for its ice cream (in Italian gelato).

Neapolitan food forms the basis for much Italian American cuisine.

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Tourist attractions

Image:CastelDellOvo.jpg Image:Naples-Castel Nuovo.jpg

Naples itself is less visited than some of the surrounding attractions. There are, however, many attractions within the city. La Villa Comunale (formerly a royal park) has been refurbished and stretches along the seafront in the smarter western end of the city. It contains an aquarium which is possibly Europe's oldest and is favoured by the locals for family walks on Sunday mornings. The Museo Archeologico Nazionale Napoli contains a large collection of Roman artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the Farnese Marbles, some of the greatest surviving Roman statues, an amazing numismatical collection; The Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte contains art collections including works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and Caravaggio. Naples is the home of the Teatro di San Carlo, the oldest active opera house in Europe, which opened its doors on November 4, 1737.

Other notable monuments are:

Castel dell'Ovo
Castel Nuovo with the Arch of Triumph of Alfonso I
Palazzo Reale
Piazza del Plebiscito
Cathedral of St. Januarius
church of Santa Chiara
church of San Lorenzo Maggiore
church of Santa Maria Donna Regina
church of Gesù Nuovo ("new Jesus")
church of San Domenico Maggiore

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Under Naples

Guided tours operate around the Stratification of Naples which shows the city through the layers laid down across history. Subterranean Naples consists of old Greco-Roman reservoirs dug out from the soft tufo stone on which, and from which, the city is built. You can visit approximately one kilometer of the many kilometers of tunnels under the city. There are also large catacombs in and around the city.

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Also in Naples

Naples is the site of three major military bases. Naval Support Activity Naples, located in Capodichino is a major US Navy base which is responsible for the support and control of US Naval assets in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility, and Bagnoli, known as Joint Force Command South (formerly AFSOUTH, many Sailors still call it this) is a major NATO base, which is responsible for the coordination of NATO forces in the south European Region. There is also the Support Site, which consists mostly of housing and personnel support facilities, located in Gricignano di Aversa.

Capodichino is the site of the Naples International Airport.

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Around Naples

Image:Naples panorama.jpg The islands of Procida, (famously used as the set for much of il Postino), Capri and Ischia can all be reached quickly by hydrofoils and ferries. Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast are situated south of Naples. The Roman ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum (destroyed in the A.D. 79 eruption of Vesuvius) are also nearby. As well, Naples is near the volcanic area known as the Campi Flegrei and the port towns of Pozzuoli and Baia, which were part of the vast Roman naval facility, Portus Julius.

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Sporting Naples

Naples is the home of the soccer team Napoli, which has gained deep passions from Napoletani. With the help of Diego Maradona, the team achieved rare success in 1987 and in 1990 by winning the Scudetto, the UEFA Cup, Italian Super Cup and the Italian Cup. In 2004 the football team was declared bankrupt and has been subsequently reborn into the lower division of Serie C1 as 'Napoli Soccer' but now is returned in division B

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The Neapolitan diaspora

Naples has seen many of its children spread throughout the world, setting up 'Little Italies' in many countries. The majority of these Neapolitans who left Italy went to the Americas, especially the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina.

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